Why would they? You make no sense.
Zone1 Why do some American Jews avoid Easter Egg hunts and Christmas presents for their children?
- Thread starter Cassandro
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Why would they? You make no sense.
Meriweather
Not all who wander are lost
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How are you defining "paganism"? It's a catch-all term for all minor religions. Celebrating Christ's birthday and his resurrection is participating in one of the major religions. There are only so many days in the year. On the day I am having my own celebration, are you declaring what I am "really" doing is celebrating the birthdays of over seventeen million other people? I am guessing most cultures down through the ages took time to celebrate each season--this harvest, that harvest, the longest day, the shortest day--and all focused on one of the many attributes of that season. In the Christian faith, we celebrate liturgical seasons, and these celebrations have little to do with celebrating the first harvest, or whatever. The one thing I can promise you, is that before Christianity, no one celebrated Jesus' resurrection. Give mankind a reason to celebrate, and a celebration breaks out, that has nothing to do with past celebrations that once occurred on that same day years ago. We play games--and yes, some of those same games are older than the first time we gathered to celebrate a new event.
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- #23
There seems to be divergent attitudes about whether these activities are Christian or pagan, but a uniform attitude about not wanting to discuss them. Forbidden subjects indicate small minds.
rosends
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the issue is that the practices develop from religious practice (regardless of how they got into that). Since they are developed from religious practice, they are off limits to Jews. Discussing them is pretty common, though.
We discuss plenty. But there is really not much to discuss. Not our practices, so why should we follow them?
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- #26
Did you notice the post to which I was mimicking? I consider the term to be unnecessarily vague. I suppose it refers to any religious belief not currently in vogue.
But my questions were about deliberate avoidance of Easter Egg hunts and other secular activities which have no religious content other than being associated with Christian (or pagan?) holidays. I am dismayed, but not surprised, that no one has been willing to address these question in an objective manner.
Meriweather
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The answer is simple. I never went to a rock concert because I simply wasn't interested in all that went with them--crowds, noise, expenses, etc. It had nothing to do with "deliberate avoidance", just a lack of interest in being involved in that particular activity.
Easter Egg hunt: Cook the eggs, decorate the eggs, hide the eggs, wait for kids to find the eggs...and does anyone truly want to eat them after being carried around (and cracked) by hot, dirty little hands? Sure, I did all this and more for the little kids in my family--they get such a kick out of it. Dad always found time to play 'hide and seek' games of all kinds with us. There are surely other games adults prefer to play with their children. Other preferred activities does not equate to "deliberate avoidance" either.
Christmas presents...sure that's fun to give and to receive. But...what can be even more special is an unexpected gift at an unexpected time. Many find Christmas a time of great stress and so opt out.
Unkotare
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Be careful, IM2 will have a hissy fit.
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- #29
You just controverted your own premise. You participated in activities that you didn't prefer because the kids got "such a kick out of it." But you then rationalize not permitting children to participate in these activities in favor of "other games adults prefer to play." If this is not deliberate avoidance of those activities, what would you call it?
Meriweather
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Think about it. As an adult would you prefer to play Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders? Hide the Thimble or Hide and Go Seek? Tag or Mother May I?
Zebra
Gold Member
do some Jews also give presents at Christmas.?
Typically, not unless it falls during Hanuka
rosends
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gift giving during this time of year is not part of Jewish tradition. Channukah gift giving is an echo of Christmas gifts. Some Jewish communities have a tradition of giving coins (Channukah gelt).
Zebra
Gold Member
I recognize gelt as the German word for Money = Geld
Hafar1014
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We take our holidays more seriously. We often will celebrate Christmas with our Christian friends. Easter is in fact based on a pagan fertility holiday. Xmas is the winter solstice. They used existing pagan holidays in fact appropriated them.
DennisPTate
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I am a former member of the Worldwide Church of God and Pastor General Herbert W. Armstrong and his son Garner Ted taught us to take the following words seriously.
Many "Christian" holidays have a foundation in paganism that gives us reason to question whether or not we should participate at all in them?
Perhaps I am guilty of cowardice but I don't worry much about what my family does on either Easter or Halloween.
Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
2;Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3;For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4;They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
5;They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
6;Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.
[Jeremiah 10]
Bible Gateway passage: Jeremiah 10 - King James Version
Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the...www.biblegateway.com
On the other hand there is a massive difference between the atmosphere of Christmas and Easter in comparison to Halloween?
The Dark Truth Behind Halloween | John Ramirez
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- Thread starter
- #37
You take your holidays more seriously than who?
How do you celebrate Christmas with your Christian friends?
Easter and Xmas may coincide with pagan holidays, but they are not based on them.
Nice try at self-righteous diversion from my questions.
P.S. When are you going to resume animal blood sacrifice?
Hafar1014
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Bunnies and eggs how respectful. Its based on a pagan fertility celebration.
They are based on pagan holidays thats why you have bunnies
Xmas is the winter solstice
Papageorgio
The Ultimate Winner
Jewish people have a religious belief that doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Muslims don’t celebrate Christmas either. Muslims in the United States don’t recognize Christmas as a holiday, nor do the have Easter Egg hunts.
It is because their religion is important to them, it means they follow their beliefs. That religion means little to you is irrelevant. It obviously means more to them.
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- #40
So why do you celebrate Christmas with your Christian friends? Do you consider them (or yourself) to be pagans?
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